Tag Archive for: knee pain

The Week in Research Review, etc 10-22-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

That was a milestone week as my Instagram account finally hit 10k followers, whatever that means! I’ve really been pushing a daily post to help other rehab professionals better simplify the research. One milestone hit but I still want to keep publishing good quality research reviews. The Week in Research Review, etc 10-22-18 included:

  1. Do baseball Pitchers really have a tight posterior capsule?
  2. ACL strain curve during the squat
  3. Does the pec minor length influence shoulder pain?
  4. What does the literature say about the EMG activity of the rotator cuff, particularly of the supraspinatus, with ROM
  5. Classification of Meniscus Tears and Osteoarthritis

Do baseball Pitchers really have a tight posterior capsule?

My guess is emphatically no based on what I see on a daily basis, the general anatomy of the glenohumeral joint and some research studies.

Anatomy
1️⃣When I stretch a baseball pitcher’s shoulder, it is usually very mobile. I find this in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.

If I try to assess their posterior capsule with a joint play technique, I can often translate the humeral head pretty far over the glenoid rim. Sometimes, I can even sublux the humerus!

2️⃣Anatomically, the posterior capsule is relatively thin compared to the anterior and inferior capsule (see the post).

In general, that capsule is thinner probably because of the glenoid position that is not strictly in the frontal plane.
Because of that, it is theorized that the capsule evolved to have less of a role in stabilizing the humerus.

3️⃣There are a couple of research studies that have specifically looked at baseball pitchers to determine their humeral head translation.

Borsa et al AJSM 2005 reported that posterior translation was actually greater than anterior translation in both the dominant and non-dominant shoulders of professional baseball pitchers.

Crawford et al J Ath Train 2006 found no significant differences in posterior glenohumeral laxity and stiffness between the throwing and non-throwing shoulders.

I understand why the theory exists and think it could be plausible but just don’t think it’s truly responsible for what we think.

We just don’t think we can stretch the posterior capsule with any joint mobilization or contract-relax procedure, including a sleeper stretch. I often giggle at all of those MD prescriptions that say ‘#GIRD, posterior capsule tightness’. I just treat what I find on my examination and ignore the script.

ACL strain curve during the squat

As you can see, the strain curve from the Beynnon et al study is very similar to the strain curve during resisted knee extension in a full ROM (90-0).

We argue all of the time about anterior tibial translation during the open chain exercises but often ignore the other side of the story.

The strain on the ligament is barely 4%, which is in line with many functional activities like walking, descending steps, etc. The argument that we’re going to stretch the ligament out just has not been proven in the literature.

I wanted to show the closed chain strain curve so you could compare it to the open chain strain curve. I know the n=8 argument is present but we really don’t have much more data on the ligament in vivo that shows the true effects of open vs closed chain exercises on the ACL.

Again, as @barbhoogie mentioned, you need to monitor the PF joint, especially after a patella tendon autograft but as long as we’re not aggravating that joint, then I begin early 90-0’s and mini squats as tolerated.

Do you agree with this? Do you prevent squats early on during the ACL rehab process? If you don’t, then why do you hold back on full active knee extension exercises?

Does the pec minor length influence shoulder pain

Does the pectoralis minor length influence acromiohumeral distance, shoulder pain-function, and range of movement? Navarro-Ledesma et al Phys Ther Sport Aug 2018.

Their conclusion: Pectoralis minor length is not a distinguishing factor in shoulder⠀
assessment when a chronic condition exists, and it seems not to play a key role in pain perception and ROM.

54 participants with chronic shoulder pain in their dominant arm were recruited, as well as fifty-four participants with a pain-free shoulder.

The resting muscle length is measured between the caudal edge of the 4th rib to the inferomedial aspect of the coracoid process with a sliding caliper.

The acromiohumeral distance (AHD) was defined as the shortest linear distance between the most inferior aspect of the acromion and the adjacent humeral head, measured by ultrasound.

An interesting study that used an asymptomatic control group along with the contralateral shoulder of the symptomatic subject. A pretty clean study that is very interesting. I’m not going to say that the pec minor doesn’t play a role in shoulder pain but maybe its role is not as prominent as we think.

What do you think? Do you find pec minor length has a substantial role in your patients with shoulder pain?⠀

EMG of the rotator cuff during rehab exercises

What does the literature say about the EMG activity of the rotator cuff, particularly of the supraspinatus, with ROM?

Many PT’s and doctors are uncertain when to safely begin physical therapy after a shoulder surgery, particularly after a rotator cuff repair. In my 15+ years as a PT, I’ve seen docs begin PT post-op day 1 or wait as long as 6 weeks (which drives me bonkers!!)

In this snippet that I’ve taken from an upcoming blog post at LennyMacrina.com. I discuss the research that’s helping to guide best practice, in particular, the research that looks at PROM and AAROM and how much EMG activity is actually going on in the supraspinatus with each movement.

As you can see in the video, there’s minimal supraspinatus activity (<20% is considered minimal) for all motions. Keep in mind, many of these studies are done on healthy individuals but who in their right mind would volunteer their newly repaired RTC repair to have fine-wire EMG done on them?

So, I can only draw my conclusions from a limited body of evidence and my own anecdotal evidence (which consists of 12+ years of immediate PROM POD 1). Many still think it’s safe to get a RTC repair patient’s shoulder moving early for many reasons that I will describe in this blog post.

I just wanted to get this early point out there to get another discussion going. I think our patients can do much better after a RTC repair and this is one of the reasons.

Do you agree? Do you advocate for early PROM after a RTC repair, especially a small-medium repair?

Classification of Meniscus Tears and Osteoarthritis

Great post by @physicaltherapyresearch talking about the various types of meniscus tears. Nice visual & description of each type and the incidence of OA. Take a look! 👇🏼
_______________
Meniscus Tears and Osteoarthritis

💡

Prevalence of meniscal tears is estimated as ~24-31% of some populations, increasing with age and ranging from 19% in women aged 50–59 years to 56% among men between 70 and 90 years and is markedly higher in established OA subjects.
💡

Medial meniscus and/or the posterior horn tears make up 66% of cases, with horizontal and complex tears being the most common.
💡

Most subjects with a meniscal tear are asymptomatic.
💡

Regardless of morphologic type, meniscal tears are strongly associated with OA cross-sectionally and predict OA longitudinally and are considered to be part of the spectrum of early or pre-radiographic disease

📝📝📝

TEAR TYPES INFO:

Often enough, meniscal tear types are categorized into varying groups for comparison rather than separately compared to each other.
📝

There is a striking lack of data on the relevance of different morphologic types of meniscal tears in OA.

📝

Horizontal and complex tears are common findings in knees with OA

📝

Posterior radial tears of the medial meniscus are associated with a high degree of cartilage loss and meniscal extrusion, and appear to be a highly relevant event in the progression of OA in the knee. 📝

Lateral meniscus radial tears affect younger individuals and are considered post-traumatic.

📝
Despite their suggested high relevance, radial tears are more commonly misdiagnosed on MRI than any other type of tear.

📝

While medial meniscus posterior root tears are of “radial” morphology, there is growing interest in regarding them as a separate entity.
📝

Longitudinal and bucket handle tears affect younger individuals and are highly associated with ACL injuries, favoring a traumatic etiology.
📝

MRI is important to detect and locate a possible displaced tear.
📝

Further epidemiologic studies should focus on the morphology of specific meniscal tears to better understand their relevance in the genesis and progression of knee OA.
📚📚📚
SOURCE:
Jarraya et al. 2017 Semin Arthritis Rheum

The Week in Research Review, etc 10-15-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

This week I posted a lot of research and thoughts on shoulder and knee rehab, particularly after an ACL injury. I also shared some others posts that really complimented my posts so there’s some bonus reading to do too. Hope The Physical Therapy Week in Research Review helps your Monday patients and beyond! Take a read and share with your friends!

  1. Co-morbidities in the first 2 years after arthroscopic hip surgery: substantial increases in mental health disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse, and cardiometabolic conditions. Rhon et al BJSM 2018.⠀
  2. Range of Extension Correlates with Posterior Capsule Length after Knee Remobilization Zhou et al Med Sci Sports Exerc 2018⠀
  3. Sidelying External Rotation- The 1 exercise in all upper body programs
  4. @dr.jacob.harden talking Infraspinatus release.
  5. Do you account for Bone Bruises after an ACL
  6.  @cbutlersportspton bone bruises and the specifics
  7. When is it safe to initiate full AROM knee extension after an ACL-PTG autograft
  8. @mickhughes.physio on when it MAY be safe to initiate full knee extension from 90-0 after an ACL reconstruction.

 

 

Comorbidities after Hip Arthroscopy

Co-morbidities in the first 2 years after arthroscopic hip surgery: substantial increases in mental health disorders, chronic pain, substance abuse and cardiometabolic conditions. Rhon et al BJSM 2018.

This is an interesting study on 1870 mainly US Military personnel between 2004-13 (~33% were not active duty).

Relative to baseline, cases of:

❇️mental health disorders rose 84%

❇️chronic pain diagnoses increased by 166%

❇️substance abuse disorders rose 57%

❇️cardiovascular disorders rose by 71%

❇️metabolic syndrome cases rose by 85.9%

❇️systemic arthropathy rose 132%

❇️sleep disorders rose 111%

The comorbidity with the greatest increase of new cases was that of mental health disorders (26% of the entire cohort). Age and socioeconomic status had significant associations on outcomes as well.

Just an eye-opening study that followed each subject 2 years after their respective surgeries. One giant variable that jumped out at me was that they used mainly military personnel only as the subjects.

We certainly can’t extrapolate on non-military personnel but need to keep this study in mind for others treating a similar cohort. Did the surgery cause these disorders? Absolutely not! No causation can be associated and that is very important!

What do you think about this study and how mainly military personnel and civilians that were tracked ending up developing many chronic disorders? I say it is very troubling! Let’s chat…and remember, this is not a causation study but just a reminder to educate and monitor your patients’ well-being after a surgery.

 

Posterior Capsule Limits Knee Extension after an ACL

Range of Extension Correlates with Posterior Capsule Length after Knee Remobilization Zhou et al Med Sci Sports Exerc 2018

This study is a confirmation bias for me because it showed that the knee’s posterior capsule limits extension after immobilization (in rats!) This is why I’m a huge proponent of low load long duration stretching of most joints when they begin to get stiff.

It seems as if the prolonged stretching is needed to regain collagen length and return the ROM. I know it’s in rats so calm down…but we need to get the data from somewhere.

Take it with a grain of salt but know that LLLD is going to be the best mode to return ROM (and not just hamstring stretching).⠀
.⠀
Do you agree? Do you treat rats with stiff knees? Then this study was created for you!

 

The Best Exercise for the Rotator Cuff

❗️Sidelying External Rotation- The 1 exercise in all upper body programs❗️

I really think this exercise should be in everyone’s program, whether going through rehab for a painful shoulder or a high level, healthy powerlifter. The role of the infraspinatus and other rotator cuff muscles is crucial to maintaining humeral head stability.

Sidelying external rotation has been shown to elicit the highest amount of EMG activity for the infraspinatus so I give this exercise to everyone, once there are no precautions for tissue healing. The infraspinatus and subscapularis (front rotator cuff muscle) are force couples that help to stabilize the humerus within the glenoid. Weakness of the infraspinatus may affect this force couple and create an inefficient movement within the joint.

My goal for all of my clients is to create an efficient movement that allows them to work at their highest level. The infraspinatus is a critical muscle of the shoulder complex so MOST of my programs include this exercise.

 

Myofascial Release of the Infraspinatus

Great post by @dr.jacob.harden talking Infraspinatus release. Perfect timing for my earlier post today looking at my go to exercise for the shoulder joint. Check his post out below!👉🏻 🔴 𝙃𝙊𝙒 𝙏𝙊 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙀 𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙍𝘼𝙎𝙋𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙎

Coming at ya with a little #throwbackthursday since I’m about to jump on a plane across the pond to London. So we’re looking at how to do a pin and stretch for the rotator cuff, specifically the infraspinatus. The infraspinatus is the main external rotator of your shoulder, so it’s that muscle we see everyone working when they swing there 5 pound plates side to side in their warm-ups. (Side note: if you do that, please use a band or do it sidelying. Standing with plates does nothing but work the bicep.👍)

This can also help with some those little hypersensitive areas in the back of the shoulder. If you’re feeling those spots or having shoulder pain or just want to improve your internal rotation a bit, this release can help.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁:

🔹️Ball placement is below the spine of the scapula.

🔹️Internally rotate, flex, and adduct the shoulder

🔹️Work back and forth for a minute or so

 

Bone Bruises after an ACL

Do you even consider a bone bruise after an ACL when progressing your patients? I know I certainly do and one of the major reasons why I have gone a bit slower with my latter stage progression, especially to impact activities like plyometrics and running.

There are a few studies that have shown the presence of a bone bruise after an ACL injury but we are not 100% certain this eventually leads to joint degradation.

Hanypsiak et al included 44 patients (82%) who underwent unilateral ACLR without multi-ligament involvement. Thirty-six (82%) patients had a bone bruise on index MRI. Potter et al reported all patients in their cohort sustained chondral damage at the time of injury.

Faber et al examined 23 patients with occult osteochondral lesion (bone bruise) who underwent ACLR. They found that at 6-year follow-up, a significant number of patients had evidence of cartilage thinning adjacent to the site of the initial osteochondral lesion (13/23 patients).

So as you can see, bone bruises are more common than most people think. This may be one reason why osteoarthritis rates are much higher in ACL reconstructed knees.

Additional factors, such as cartilage and meniscus injury, associated with ACL rupture may play an important role in subsequent outcomes following surgical reconstruction independent of a bone bruise.

Do you consider a bone bruise when progressing your patients back from a knee injury like an ACL reconstruction?

 

Types of Bone Bruises after an ACL Injury

@cbutlersportspton bone bruises, which fits perfectly with my post earlier today. He talks about the 3 different types of common bone bruises…check it out below!

❗️What is a Bone Bruise❗️We often hear that one of our Fantasy Football players has a Bone Bruise and may be out for a few weeks.

It sounds like something that an NFL athlete should be able to tough out, right?

Here’s why you may need to put in a backup for a few games.

A bone bruise occurs when several trabeculae in the bone are broken, whereas a fracture occurs when all the trabeculae in one area have broken. Trabecular bone is also known as spongy bone.

—-Three Types of Bone Bruises—-⠀
1️⃣Subperiosteal hematoma: A bruise that occurs due to an impact on the periosteum that leads to pooling of blood in the region.⠀
2️⃣Intraosseous Bruising: The bruise occurs in the bone marrow and is due to high impact stress on the bone.⠀
3️⃣Subchondral Bruise: This bruise is bleeding between cartilage and bone such as in a joint.

—-Symptoms of Bone Bruises—-

•Pain and tenderness in the region of injury

•Swelling in the region of injury

•Skin discoloration in the region of injury

Bone bruises often occur with joint injuries, such as ankle sprains and ACL tears, therefore a bone bruise can also coincide with stiffness and swelling in the joint.⠀

 

When is it safe to initiate full AROM knee extension after an ACL-PTG autograft?

I posted this video in my the other day and had a ton of people message me about the exercise.

Most people wanted to know how far out of surgery the patient was and when I felt it was safe to begin full, active knee extension after an ACL.

I’ve always been relatively conservative with my rehab (at least I think so) but I wanted to dig a little deeper. I recently saw a post by @mickhughes.physio and he was talking about the Fukuda et al study from 2013.

The study looked at 90-40 knee extensions and ‘ACLR patients can perform 3×10 at a 70% 1RM load through a restricted 45-90deg ROM between weeks 4-12 post-op, and then the same load full ROM from 12 weeks post-op. ‘

It made me dive a bit deeper and I went to my trusty Beynnon et al AJSM studies from the late 90’s. You can see the strain on the ACL decreases as we approach 40 degrees and stays low out to 90 degrees…but is 3-4% strain on the ligament significant?

If you look at the study (yes, it’s only on 8 subjects) you’ll see a similar strain curve for closed chain exercises as well…but we do mini squats immediately after surgery without 2nd guessing!

In 2011, Beynnon et al AJSM showed that an accelerated program that initiated full resisted knee extension (90-0) at 4 weeks showed similar knee laxity throughout the study. The other group initiated full resisted knee extension at 12 weeks. Also, those who underwent accelerated rehabilitation experienced a significant improvement in thigh muscle strength at the 3-month follow-up.

So, what do we do with this data? I have begun to do full, resisted knee extensions with my patients between 4-6 weeks post-op, as long as it’s a patella tendon autograft. For allografts or HS autografts, I tend to delay it a bit longer because of the soft tissue healing that is delayed.

What do you think? When do you initiate full AROM after an ACL? Do you know of a study that definitively says the strain on the ACL graft is detrimental to the healing ligament?

 

How much Resistance Should we Recommend Open Chain Exercises After an ACL

This is the post from @mickhughes.physio that made me dive a bit deeper into the research on when it MAY be safe to initiate full knee extension from 90-0 after an ACL reconstruction. Check out his post below! ⠀
____________________

So if we can safely perform OKC exercises (knee extensions) as part of ACLR rehab; how heavy can lift?⠀
*⠀
*

This is a question I often get asked. Based on the work by Fukuda et al (2013), ACLR patients can perform 3×10 at a 70% 1RM load through a restricted 45-90deg ROM between weeks 4-12 post-op, and then the same load full ROM from 12 weeks post-op. *⠀
*⠀

From then you can progressively load as per what can be tolerated. Usually the first sign that the knee is unhappy with the load is that the underneath the kneecap will be sore/painful. That’s a sign you need to back the load off a little so the exercise is felt in the quads only. *

If you’re still unsure about OKC exercises (knee extensions) during ACLR rehab read my blog by clicking on the link in my bio ⠀
#ACL #Physio #Knee #Rehab

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 10-8-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Hey all, the Week in Research Review, etc 10-8-18 has some great articles that really got some good discussion going. I highly recommend reading each post and chiming in. Looking forward to the new comments and discussions!

  1. PT Continuity of care
  2. Fatigue effects on ACL tears
  3. Measuring IR in a baseball pitcher
  4. Lever sign to diagnose an ACL tear
  5. Immediate or delayed ROM after a rotator cuff repair

 

Longitudinal continuity of care is associated with high patient satisfaction with physical therapy. Beattie et al Phys Ther 2005.

I saw a FB post the other day and it reminded me of a study that I had seen about continuity of care and physical therapy.⠀

This study looked to provide ‘preliminary information regarding the association between longitudinal continuity and reports of patient satisfaction with physical therapy outpatient care.’

What they showed was “Subjects who received their entire course of outpatient physical therapy from only 1 provider were approximately 3x more likely to report complete satisfaction with care than those who received care from more than 1 provider.”

All too often, I hear my current clients talk about their past PT sessions and often complain about seeing a tech/aide or a different PT for each session.

I always thought that was such a wrong concept for the client. Throughout my career, I have strived to connect with each client in an attempt to help them overcome an injury.

We did this at @championsportsm in Birmingham and we do it now in Boston at @championptp.

It is such a game changer for the client when they have complete faith in their treatment, can connect with their PT and their PT can connect with them.

Just my little soapbox rant on continuity of care. Are you able to maintain a good continuity of care with your patients or are you constantly sharing and/or just doing evals?

Tag a friend or colleague who may benefit from this post…thanks!⠀

 

Fatigue affects quality of movement more in ACL-reconstructed soccer players than in healthy soccer players. van Melick et al Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 2018.

This study looked at the influence of neuromuscular fatigue on both movement quantity and quality in fully-rehabilitated soccer players after ACLR and to compare them with healthy soccer players.

They showed ACL-reconstructed soccer players had a significantly decreased performance when comparing the non-fatigued with the fatigued state.

For movement quantity, they used a single-leg vertical jump, a single-leg hop for distance, and a single-leg side hop.

For movement quality, they used a double-leg countermovement jump with frontal and sagittal plane video analyses. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale was used to measure fatigue after a soccer-specific field training session. In addition to soccer-specific drills, exercises focussing on speed, stability, and coordination were included in this session.

Seems like a pretty neat study that may help to show us that the fatigued state influences quality of movements and not the quantity of movements. I know Tim Hewett has said that there’s no evidence that fatigue influences ACL tears but maybe this study is the 1st step.

Do you agree with this study? Anecdotally it makes sense but there’s little evidence to support the notions.⠀

⠀

Measuring internal rotation in the baseball player

If you treat baseball pitchers, then you should have a good understanding of how to measure internal rotation of the shoulder joint.

Measuring internal rotation of the shoulder is one part of the equation when obtaining total rotational range of motion (TROM). Total rotational range motion is the sum of external rotation plus internal rotation. I use this equation weekly, if not daily when assessing my baseball players’ shoulders.

In a study in 2009 Sports Health Journal titled “Glenohumeral internal rotation measurements differ depending on stabilization techniques”, we looked at 3 different ways to measure IR. We determined that the scapula stabilized method had the best intra-rater reliability.

We also felt this was the best method to measure pure internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint.

Is this how you measure IR in your baseball pitchers? Do you consider TROM when making treatment recommendations?

Let’s talk it out and discuss the concept of TROM and how to measure it.

 

Accuracy of the Lever Sign to Diagnose Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Reiman et al IJSPT Oct 2018

This study was a systematic review with meta-analysis that hoped to summarize the diagnostic accuracy of the Lever sign for use during assessment of the knee for an ACL tear.

They showed that based on limited evidence, the Lever sign can moderately change posttest probability to rule in an ACL tear.

I’m a bit surprised by the limited studies because I’ve had a more difficult time getting consistent results compared to the Lachmans test (definitely my go-to!).

For those not familiar with the Lever test, it was 1st published by Dr Lelli in Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2016.

From the review, ‘The test requires the evaluator to place their fist under the calf muscle to create a “fulcrum” extending the knee while applying a moderate downward force to the distal part of the femur.

In an intact knee, the ACL completes a lever mechanism, making the heel rise in response to the force applied to the femur. In an ACL-deficient knee, the heel does not rise indicating a positive Lever sign.’ I have personally struggled to get consistent accuracy using the test. My results have been inconsistent with MRI results.

I’ve also struggled to do the test on a plinth that has padding and often have patients lie on a firm surface like the floor (which is very weird) in order to get a better test result.

Some people are freaked out by the method of the test. The clinician has to apply force to the knee in order to create the fulcrum. Many have not liked that force applied to the knee.

In general, this is not my go-to for a suspicious ACL tear. I have tried and still ty to use it but my results have been less than stellar.

Have you used this test for an ACL tear? Do you like it to supplement your Lachmans?

 

Should we delay PROM after a rotator cuff repair?

It seems as if we’re all over the place, which usually says the research is not cut and dry. There are so many factors that are considered when trying to figure out the best time to initiate motion.

I’m not talking active ROM or strengthening…I”m talking about passive ROM by a rehab specialist like a #PT, #OTor #ATC. Obviously, the docs weigh in heavily with this decision. I feel as if patients are restricted for the wrong reasons and could potentially begin PT earlier than we often see.

This is going to be a beast of a blog post and may alter my thinking, we’ll see.

As of now, I fully embrace immediate PROM for most post-op rotator cuff repairs, including Large and Massive repairs.

For revisions, we may need to think it through but I still feel as if most benefit from early PROM. We did it for years and with very good results during my time in Birmingham but feel as if maybe the pendulum is swinging in the conservative direction (for the wrong reasons).

What do you guys do? Do you have any input with your docs and can influence their rehab decisions? Let’s talk it out now and get prepped for my blog release in the coming days, weeks, months…whenever I can make it the best!⠀

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 10-1-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Another week of some great discussions and learning opportunities. The Week in Research Review included:

  • Risk Factors for Patellofemoral pain
  • Shoulder ROM and elbow injuries
  • Rotator Cuff Exercises
  • Eccentric or Concentric exercise for Tendinopathy
  • Hamstrings Protect the ACL
  • Stretching the Shoulder in the Overhead Athlete

Share with your friends and have them subscribe to the weekly newsletter!

 

Risk factors for patellofemoral pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis Neal et al BJSM 2018.

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies involved 4818 participants, of whom 483 developed patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

First off, PFPS is a wastebasket term that basically tells the client that they have knee pain…that’s it.

My 1st job is to educate the client about this fancy term because they often come in confused and wanting more information.

I use a good subjective exam to have the patient help me narrow in on a potential cause so I can answer the question ‘why’.

My clinical exam will attempt to diagnose the particular culprit…whether it’s mechanical, overuse or something else.

Back to the study…it showed that in patients with PFPS, quadriceps weakness in military recruits and higher hip strength in adolescents were risk factors for PFP.

Not surprised by the quadriceps weakness but kinda surprised by the hip weakness!

The same authors showed this in JOSPT 2012 Lankhorst et al that weaker knee extension strength, expressed by peak torque, appears to be a risk factor for PFPS.

Not sure what to do with the hip strength as a risk factor in adolescents but maybe it becomes a biomechanical issue if the hips are stronger than the quadriceps, relatively.

Do you guys see this out there as well? The key, as usual, is to strengthen the quadriceps!

I would also say activity modification that is causing the quad weakness (overuse) and a progressive return to their activity.

Chime in and let’s talk this out…thanks!⠀

 

Deficits in glenohumeral passive range of motion increase risk of elbow injury in professional baseball pitchers: a prospective study. @wilk_Kevin, Macrina et al AJSM 2014.

In this paper, we looked to determine whether decreased ROM of the throwing shoulder is correlated with the onset of elbow injuries in professional baseball pitchers.

This one took years to get all of the data collected through multiple spring training trips to the @raysbaseball facilities.

In the end, we were able to show that: ⚾️pitchers with deficits of >5° in total rotation in their throwing shoulders had a 2.6x greater risk for injury.

⚾️Pitchers with deficit of ≥ 5° in flexion of the throwing shoulder had a 2.8x greater risk for injury.

These findings have guided our evaluation and treatment strategies at @championptp.

We hypothesize that loss of flexion may be a result of some soft tissue limitation of the lats, teres, pecs and other muscles.

We focus much of our attention on these muscle groups during our arm care to help regain the flexion and may even help gain back some of the ER in those that are tighter than normal…whatever that means.

After soft tissue work, we look to work on dynamic stability and strength in the newly gained ROM.
Do you use these similar concepts with your baseball pitchers too? Tag a friend who may be interested in this study…thanks!⠀

 

Rotator Cuff Exercises

In this post, I wanted to discuss my go-to exercises for the shoulder when someone presents with an injury or pain.

Of course, my exam TRIES to determine the tissue involved but most of our clinical exam tests cannot pinpoint the exact pain generator and pathological tissue.

With that, I have certain exercises that I think, through the available EMG data, are the best to help regain strength and confidence prior to beginning their return to sport (or life) activities.

Numerous studies have looked at the EMG during these specific motions and have determined that the supraspinatus and infraspinatus have higher relative levels compared to other positions, say the full can vs empty can debate, for example.

Take a look at these classic studies to help guide your programs:⠀

❇️Blackburn et al JAT 1990

❇️Townsend et al AJSM 1991

❇️Reinold et al JOSPT 2002

❇️Reinold et al JAT 2007

❇️Kelly et al AJSM 1996

❇️Worrell et al Med Sci Sports Exerc 1992

❇️Jobe et al 1982

❇️Decker et al AJSM 2003

These papers have provided the foundation for today’s shoulder programs and are some that I discuss during my Biomechanics lectures that I give when teaching my course.

Are you familiar with these papers and do you keep them in mind when building your shoulder programs for your clients?

Tag a colleague or friend that may want to see this post…thanks!⠀

 

Eccentric or Concentric Exercises for the Treatment of Tendinopathies? Couppe et al JOSPT Nov 2015

Interesting clinical commentary from a few years ago talking about tendinopathy treatments.

Most PT’s and ATC’s generally talk about eccentric loading of tendons to help treat suspected tendon pain.

In this review, they discuss the potential mechanisms that may aid in helping people suffering from tendon pain.

I found this statement very interesting:

👉🏼”There is little evidence for isolating the eccentric component of a loading-based regime.

👉🏼The basic mechanisms that are likely to influence tendon adaptations appear to be related mainly to tendon load/strain magnitude and duration, and there is no theoretical basis for greater tendon loads in eccentric exercises at a given force (body weight or external load).” 🤯

As always, it makes me think that as specific as we think we are with some of our exercises, maybe just putting any strain through the muscle-tendon unit is good enough.

Have you guys read this review? What do you think? is this similar to what you see in your practice?

Tag a friend who may want to read or comment on this post…thanks!⠀

 

𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐂𝐋

Great post by @rehabscience talking about the influence of the hamstrings on the #ACL. A big focus of my rehab for my patients that have had an ACL reconstruction involves building hamstring strength.

Check out his original post below!

💥𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐂𝐋💥
———–
📌The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an extremely important ligament in terms of overall knee integrity and stability. Specifically, the ACL connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) and runs at an oblique angle from the posterior aspect of the femur to the anterior aspect of the tibia. Due to this arrangement, the ACL is responsible for preventing anterior translation of the tibia or posterior translation of the femur.
–
🔎Now, many of us are aware of the importance of the quadriceps to knee health, but, often times, the hamstrings get neglected. The hamstrings run along the posterior (backside) of the thigh and insert onto the posterior surfaces of the tibia and fibula (shin bones).

When contracting, the hamstrings work to bend the knee, but also pull the tibia posteriorly. In this way, the hamstrings can serve as a dynamic protector of the ACL by limiting excessive anterior displacement of the tibia and strain on the ligament.
–
✅If you are looking to reduce your risk of ACL injury or recovering from an ACL reconstruction, don’t forget to include hamstring work in your strength training program as this group has an instrumental role in protecting the ACL.
–
⬅️Swipe left to see several exercises from myself, @jasonbombard, @zerenpt and @strengthcoachtherapy that can be incorporated to increase hamstring strength.

 

⚾️Stretching the Overhead Athlete ⚾️

In this post, I wanted to give a glimpse into the stretching routine I use on some of my OH athletes before and after a workout, bullpen or a game.

I like to stretch the shoulder into external rotation to make sure the athlete can maintain that important ROM, especially to keep that layback or late cocking position.

I also like to work on horizontal adduction with the lateral border of the scapula stabilized. It’s important that the athlete feels the stretch in the back of the shoulder and nowhere close to the front of the shoulder.

This is the lone reason why I have gone away from the sleeper stretch and focus on horizontal adduction.

I also stretch out the forearm flexors by extending the elbow/wrist and all of the fingers, including the thumb (don’t forget about the thumb!)

I also like to stretch the shoulder joint into flexion by pinning down the scapula and hope I’m somewhere on the lats and/or subscapularis to be able to stretch these muscles out and improve that overhead position.

Remember, in 2014 we showed a loss of flexion increased the risk of medial elbow injuries by almost 3x.
I like to repeat the process a few times until I feel like we maximized the amount of new ROM.⠀
.⠀
At the same time, we’re chatting about the session, how it went, what’s to come, how their fantasy football team is doing, etc.

It’s my way to connect with each client before and after they have a session with me. I feel this is very important and often overlooked by other PT’s.

Do you have any other stretches you like to do? Tag a friend who may want to check out this video…thanks!⠀

 

The Week in Research Review, etc 9-10-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

Lots of good stuff this past week. We talked:

  • Dr. Andrews knowledge bombs
  • Frozen Shoulder video
  • AC joint Classification
  • Whether we should return our ACL patients at 6 months post-op
  • Eric Cressey quote on failing rehab


What I have learned about being successful as an orthopedic surgeon by Dr James Andrews

Great read by my friend, mentor and colleague who I was fortunate to work with from 2002-2014, before moving back home to Boston to help open @ChampionPTP with @mikereinold.

I learned so much from my interactions with him and how he handled each and every case. His approach has been the standard by which I carry myself as a PT

In this paper, he talks about: ⠀

✔️Availability⠀

✔️Communication⠀

✔️Compassion⠀

✔️Gentleness⠀

✔️A true love of caring for my patients

He also talked about being successful with a ‘purpose driven life’ and discusses 16 key recommendations to a successful orthopaedic career.

Take a look at this article and implement as much as you can tomorrow and every day thereafter.

Happy reading…share with a friend or colleague in the comments section below!⠀

 

Frozen Shoulder or adhesive capsulitis can be debilitating and frustrating for the patient.

This video shows why! Look at all of that red and inflamed tissue of the shoulder capsule. Those neovascular changes are a classic sign of frozen shoulder and the main reason why anti-inflammatories are probably effective in the early stages of the disease.

The pain associated with this presentation is often the main limiting factor, combined with the eventual capsular scarring/contracture that develops soon after.

This scarring leads to a loss of joint arthrokinematics, which leads to loss of mobility, functional loss and atrophy. This spiral effect can last months if not years for some.

Regaining mobility, strength and normal function is not guaranteed but PT can help speed up the process a bit by educating, guiding and mobilizing the patient.

if I see someone in an early stage of frozen shoulder, I usually recommend a cortisone shot followed by more PT to help maintain the patient’s shoulder ROM/strength.

What do you recommend? Any tests you use to help diagnose adhesive capsulitis?

Tag a colleague who may benefit from this post…thanks!⠀

 

With football season here, we’re going to hear a lot of talk about #shouldersaparation or AC joint sprains

The different Grades (Rockwood Classification) of AC Joint sprains are:⠀

1️⃣ AC ligament sprain, AC joint intact, CC ligaments intact⠀

2️⃣AC Joint disruption, Slight vertical separation of ACJ, CC ligament sprain, CC distance wide⠀

3️⃣AC ligament disruption, AC joint dislocated, CC ligaments torn⠀

4️⃣AC ligament disruption, AC joint dislocated, Clavicle displaced posteriorly into Trapezius, CC ligaments completely torn⠀

5️⃣AC ligament disruption, AC joint dislocated, CC ligaments completely torn,⠀
CC distance 100 to 300 % > than normal side.⠀

6️⃣AC ligament disruption, AC joint dislocated, CC ligaments completely torn, Clavicle in subcoracoid position.

I saw this video that @drroddymcgee put out on #Twitter and loved the visual effects to help simplify the typical tissues involved with each type of AC Joint sprain. You can slo find them at @thesportsdocs00 on Twitter too.

Hope it helps to put the AC joint sprains in a better view for you. Share with a colleague who may have an interest…thanks!

 

Return to play after an ACL is a complex decision that involves many variables. The research is telling us a 6-month return to play is too quick and should be delayed up to 9 months.

During that time, the focus of the rehab needs to be on gaining strength, power, and confidence in the patient’s lower body, particularly the quadriceps.

✅ 51% reduction for each month return to sport was delayed until 9 months after surgery…research by Grindem et al BJSM 2016.

Hewett et al have advocated for a possible 2-year return to play wait time to account for graft healing and time for the full strength, power and confidence to return.

I have adjusted my practice to educate my clients for a 9-month return and map out a timeframe from the beginning so they buy into that thinking. Often times, doctors will place a 6 month time for RTP and I have to overcome that thinking and ‘convince’ my clients that it’s too soon.

I think that much time is needed to get the quadriceps muscle back completely and to gain the full confidence in the limb through dynamic activities.

Do you agree? What do you recommend and do you agree with Coach Saban’s answer on RTP at 6 months? 😜

Tag a friend who would benefit from seeing this post or at least seeing Coach Saban…thanks! #RTR #notreally #neutral#switzerland 

 

Failing Rehab

As a PT, this really hit home with me and thought @ericcressey nailed it! See his original post below. @cresseysportsperformance 👇🏻

As with any professional offering – training, accounting, contracting, landscaping, or a host of other services – you’ll see good and bad rehabilitation scenarios. Make sure you do your homework about not only a rehab specialist’s experience and credentials, but also the business model in which he/she operates. 😵#cspfamily #sportsmedicine#rehab #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapist#athletictrainer #athletictraining#sportsperformance #rehabilitation

 

Documenting Knee Extension Range of Motion

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

I’ve talked a lot about the importance of regaining knee extension range of motion (ROM) after a knee injury or surgery. In this post, I want to talk about how exactly I believe we should be documenting knee extension range of motion.

I think it’s important because I hear many other medical professionals and students document differently. Hope this post clears the air and gets everyone on the same page.

Knee Extension after ACL

I’ve written about getting knee extension back after an ACL and how to figure out if it was a cyclops lesion or not. You can read this recent post if you like..it should help you gather more information on diagnosis and treatment of a cyclops lesion.

Therefore, I can’t stress the importance of obtaining not just knee extension, but symmetrical hyperextension after a knee injury or surgery.

With that, I feel as if many practitioners are all over the place with their documentation. This makes it difficult to communicate with each other and with the patients.

Documenting Knee Extension Range of Motion

In this video, I discuss the rationale for how I document knee hyperextension. I think it;’s important that we’re all on the same page to avoid confusion.

 

Does this make sense to you? Is this how you document knee hyperextension?

Let’s discuss in the comments section or on social media. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram @lenmacPT.

If you want to learn more about how I treat ACL’s or the knee in general, then you can check out our all online knee seminar at www.onlinekneeseminar.com and let me know what you think.

We cover the anatomy, rehab prescription, ACL, meniscal injuries knee replacements and patellofemoral issues. Furthermore, the course covers both the non-operative and post-operative treatment.t

This is an awesome course if you’re interested in learning more about rehabilitating the knee joint. And if you’re a PT, there’s a good chance you can get CEU’s as well.

The Week in Research Review, etc 8-5-18

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

The Week in Research Review, etc 8-5-18 we discuss a wide variety of topics including:

  • Long-term disability if weak during adolescence
  • Using heat during rehabilitation
  • OKC vs CKC exercises after an ACL
  • Live look at an Achilles rupture (with sound too!)
  • A fun look at the different types of PT’s
  • Congrats to all of the newly licensed PT’s!

Muscular weakness in adolescence is associated with disability 30 years later: a population-based cohort study of 1.2 million Swedish men. Henriksson et al BJSM June 2018.

Conclusion: There was a strong association between muscular weakness and disability. A combination of muscular weakness and low aerobic fitness was an especially important risk factor for disability. This adds weight to call for muscular strength and fitness-enhancing exercise for adolescents in all BMI categories.

This study out of Sweden looked at the associations of muscular strength in adolescence with later disability pension.

A total of 1 212 503 adolescent males aged 16–19 years, recruited from the Swedish military conscription register between 1969 and 1994.

Moral of the story: exercise as an adolescent may help to reduce issues later in life, including the potential for disability.

Taking it 1 step further… why is physical education being cut out of school requirements when studies like this show the potential negative effects of inactivity?!

Turning Up the Heat: An Evaluation of the Evidence for Heating to Promote Exercise Recovery, Muscle Rehabilitation, and Adaptation McGorm et al Sports Medicine June 2018.

Key Points: Animal and human trials have shown that various forms of heating can be used in conjunction with exercise or stress to enhance recovery, adaptation and limit muscle atrophy.

Heating muscle activates protective mechanisms, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and stimulates genes and proteins involved in muscle hypertrophy.

Further studies highlighting the differences between various heating modalities will help inform athletes and coaches on the best heating practices for specific situations.

This article has a ton of great information that I highly recommend any PT, strength coach, athletic trainer or massage therapist.

It is a review of the literature and there are still many questions to be answered so, as always, take with a grain of salt.

I am a fan of heating before treatment…I do it daily with 99% of the clients that I see and they love it…so that says something.

What do you think? Do you like to heat your clients up before treatment or before a workout? Tag a friend that may benefit from this post! Thanks, guys!

The Effect of Open- Versus Closed-Kinetic-Chain Exercises on Anterior Tibial Laxity, Strength, and Function Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Perriman et al JOSPT July 2018 Level 1a

FINDINGS: There was no significant difference in anterior tibial laxity, strength, patient-reported function, or physical function with the early or late introduction of open-kinetic-chain exercises in those who have had anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, when compared to closed-kinetic-chain exercises, at all follow-up time points.

They wanted to determine whether OKC quadriceps exercises result in differences in anterior laxity, when compared to CKC exercises, at any time point following ACLr.

Also, they wanted to determine whether there are differences in strength, function, quality of life, and adverse events with OKC quadriceps exercises when compared to CKC exercises at any time point.

Overall, calculated effect sizes showed a slight increased laxity in the OKC groups, particularly for the hamstrings graft. The⠀
pooled difference was not statistically significant (P>.05)

When considering all graft types, there was low- to moderate-quality evidence from 3 studies suggesting that there were no between-group differences in laxity at any time point when OKC exercises were introduced earlier than 6 weeks post ACLR, compared to CKC exercises.

There seemed to be a trend that showed early OKC knee extension was safer after a PTG than a hamstring autograft but protocols varied so data was inconsistent.

Of interest to me, they said “The early introduction of OKC quadriceps exercises did not appear to offer additional significant benefits in function and strength for the average patient post ACLR; therefore, this early introduction is questionable, especially in patients with a hamstring graft.

From Twitter’s @IrineuLoturco showing the moment this athlete ruptured their achilles tendon. Pretty impressive and you can see the eccentric loading of the tendon that caused the rupture. See his original post below…

A very impressive recording of the exact moment when an elite sprinter had an acute and complete rupture of the Achilles tendon. Pay attention to the “boom”.

[REPOST] If there was an ESPY for a post by a PT then @theperformancedoc would definitely get it for these videos! Great job and keep pumping out great content. Give him a follow if you haven’t already!

👇🏻
💥Different Types of Physical Therapists In the Real World💥 SWIPE 👉🏽 (Turn on 🔊) Sometimes we have trouble “turning it off” when we are outside of the clinic. Which one are you?! Tag, Comment, & Share with a Physical Therapist‼️
–
▪️
#ThePerformanceDoc #RehabWithTheDoc
#TeamMovement

Congrats to all of the newly licensed PT’s out there…Welcome to the profession!

My advice to you:

Stay humble and put the patient first, always

Keep learning and try to avoid complacency

The road will seem rough but it does get a little easier. Get experience…as much as you can. Each interaction with a patient is a snapshot to help guide your future interactions.

Put yourself in their shoes… give them the best experience as you would expect to receive if you were sitting on the plinth being asked questions.

Follow people on social media that help you to learn and keep an open mind. Don’t get pulled into 1 system. Take a little from each and package it nicely.

The research is often biased. Opinions come and go. Stay somewhere in the middle…remember the bell curve, always!

Each “system” has huge overlap despite their ‘trademarked’ proprietary information…they all involve motion and strengthening. That’s the key to PT- keep people moving and keep them stronger…or at least keep them positive and hopeful.

I recently wrote a blog post discussing the evolution of a PT. Take a look…the link is in my bio on Instagram.

These words are the basis of my practice. Take what you think is important and apply it to your practice. Good luck, now work on your dives!

A great week of content that I hope you found valuable and willing to share with your friends and colleagues! Thanks for reading!

The Week in Research Review, etc 7-22-18

/2 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

The Week in Research Review, etc 7-22-18

I’m trying out this new concept of publishing my social media posts into a nice package for a weekly delivery to my subscribers.

  1. Knee Case Study
  2. Contralateral ACL Strengthening
  3. Shoulder Static Stabilizers
  4. Weighted Ball Research
  5. Glute Activation


This kid came to me the other day with L knee swelling after sliding headfirst into 2nd base during a baseball game.⠀

Continued to play in the game and even pitched the next day, all without pain or loss of motion.⠀

As you can see from the video, he has a bunch of fluid in his knee, medial ecchymosis (bruising) but full pain-free ROM.

Ligamentous tests appear negative and he has absolutely no pain or stiffness with anything.

I took this video to show what appears to be a bursal sac disruption from the impact of his knee into the ground as he was sliding.

The mechanism fits the presentation and clinical exam.

I advised him to monitor his swelling, wear a knee sleeve and continue his activities per his tolerance.

He is going to touch base with me next week to make sure the fluid is dissipating (and not worsening) and he remains asymptomatic.

What do you think? Am I missing anything? What’s your diagnosis? Tag a friend who may be interested in this case.

Cross-education improves quadriceps strength recovery after ACL reconstruction: a randomized controlled trial. Harput et al Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2018

This study looked at a group of ACL reconstructed patients that were divided into 3 groups.

All 3 groups performed the same standardized ACL rehab, but one group was the control group that performed the standardized rehab only.

The other 2 groups did either 3x per week extra concentric knee extensions on their uninjured leg for 2 months (beginning at 1-month post-op through 3-months post-op) or additional eccentric knee extensions on their uninjured leg 3x per week for 2 months between months 1-3 post-op.
💪🏼
They found that the quads strength for the concentric group was 28% greater compared to the control group. 💪🏼
The eccentric group was 31% greater when compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Concentric and eccentric quadriceps strengthening of healthy limbs in early phases of ACL rehabilitation improved post-surgical quadriceps strength recovery of the reconstructed limb.

Pretty crazy stuff and one more reason to work on bilateral strengthening with most of our patients, especially when they’re post-op ACL reconstruction.

Do you work on bilateral strengthening? if not, why? If you do, what other studies have you seen that show similar results?
Tag a friend who may benefit from this study or let’s discuss in the comments section!

This picture shows a simplified view of the static stabilizers of the shoulder joint. I highly recommend reading a classic paper by Wilk et al 1997 JOSPT that talks about this and cites a paper from Bowen et al Clin Sports Med 1991 @wilk_kevin

When one is picturing these stabilizers, the superior glenohumeral ligament (SGHL) is most taut when the shoulder is externally rotated at 0 degrees of abduction.

As we progress to 45 degrees of GH abduction, we stress the middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL) as we externally rotate the humerus.

Finally, at 90 degrees of GH abduction, we stress the inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL) as we externally rotate. More specifically, the anterior band of the IGHL.

As we internally rotate at 90 degrees of abduction, we stress the posterior band of the IGHL.

These concepts have rehab implications and should be kept in mind when we’re rehabbing people after an injury or surgery.

For example, if someone has an anterior Bankart lesion (front labral repair), then we need to progress them slowly into external rotation, especially at 45 and 90 degrees of abduction.

Another example would be a rotator cuff repair, like the supraspinatus. We would want to progress them slowly at lower degrees of abduction 0-45 degrees but maybe we can progress them a bit quicker at 90 degrees of abduction.

Hope these concepts make sense because they are very important to understand for many patients with shoulder injuries.

Does this make sense? Have you heard this info before? Tag a friend who may benefit from this post!

Effect of a 6-Week Weighted Baseball Throwing Program on Pitch Velocity, Pitching Arm Biomechanics, Passive Range of Motion, and Injury Rates. Reinold et al Sports Health Jul-Aug 2018. @mikereinold⠀

Our 1st of potentially 3 research articles looking at the effects of weighted balls on youth baseball pitchers.

High school baseball pitchers performed a 6-week weighted ball training program.

Players gradually ramped up over the 6 weeks to include kneeling, rocker, and run-and-gun throws with balls ranging from 2oz to 32 oz.

🤔After 6 weeks, the weighted ball group did increase velocity by 3.3%, 8% showed no change, and 12% demonstrated a decrease in pitch velocity. Also of note, 67% of the control group also showed an increase in pitch velocity.⠀

The weighted ball group had a 24% injury rate although half of the injuries occurred during the study, and the other half occurred the next season. There were no injuries observed in the control group during the study period or in the following season.

The weighted ball group showed almost a 5-degree increase in passive shoulder external rotation, also known biomechanically as the late cocking position or layback position.

There were no statistically significant differences between pre- and post-testing valgus stress or angular velocity in either group.

✅Our conclusion: Although weighted-ball training may increase pitch velocity, caution is warranted because of the notable increase in injuries and physical changes observed in this cohort.

Some great Glute 🍑thoughts buy the @theprehabguys. Check out their videos and content for some great ideas that you can add to your practice!⠀
👇🏼⠀
___________________________________________________________________⠀
Episode 705: “Hip Prep for Glute Activation”⠀
.⠀
Tag a friend looking for a glute🍑 killer!⠀
Hip prep is a series of 6 exercises I’ve adopted from my girlfriend @smenzz and her clinic @eliteorthosport. I use it with my patients to prime the glutes and lower body in general before getting into more dynamic and plyometric activities. I will make the statement right now: if done RIGHT, it’s an absolute glute killer & I promise you that you will feel your glutes!⠀
.⠀
I like these 6 exercises in particular for a variety of reasons.⠀
✅They challenge the glutes in all 3 planes of motion.⠀
✅They hit all types of muscle contractions: isometric, concentric, and eccentric⠀
✅They are performed upright in a functional position⠀
✅There is a variety of double leg, single leg, and split stance variations⠀
✅They train proper lower extremity alignment in a variety of hip and trunk flexed/neutral/extended positions⠀
.⠀
The 6 exercises are:⠀
1️⃣3 way clams: 5 per leg per position⠀
2️⃣Side steps: Alternating steps to the left and right starting with 1 step all the way to 5 steps⠀
3️⃣Monster Walks: 10 steps forward, 10 steps backwards⠀
4️⃣W’s: 10 steps to the left, 10 steps to the right⠀
5️⃣Squats: 10 squats⠀
6️⃣Single leg fire hydrants: 30s per side⠀
.⠀
💡Understand that you first need to teach these exercises in isolation first, before throwing someone all 6 at once⠀
.⠀
Have fun!⠀

Hope this helps you keep up to date and fulfill my goal of this website…simplify the literature and bring great content to you so you can apply it 1st thing Monday morning! Happy Reading! 👊🏼

Follow me on Social Media here:

Image result for instagram logo vectorImage result for twitter iconImage result for facebook logo

Quadriceps Stretching after Knee Surgery: A tweak to the technique

/4 Comments/in , , , , /by

Obtaining full knee flexion after a knee surgery or knee injury can be difficult for some. The transition from passive knee flexion in seated (my preferred) or supine (not preferred!) can be a challenge for the physical therapist, once they are starting to work on quadriceps stretching. This blog post serves to help modify the prone quadriceps stretching technique after a knee surgery. The goal is to better localize the stretch to the muscle and not cause further pain and discomfort to the patient.

In the past, I’ve talked about restoring knee extension after surgery, particularly after an ACL reconstruction. If you missed that blog post, you can read it here here and here. You might say I have a slight obsession with talking about ROM after surgeries.

For a common surgery like an ACL reconstruction, I often see people present to me without full ROM. That’s why I continue to discuss techniques that can help other clinicians and patients restore their ROM before it’s too late.

Why is full ROM important after knee surgery?

Well, we think there’s a pretty close link between long-term issues and not restoring knee ROM.

In Shelbourne’s article in AJSM 2012, he states that “abnormal knee flexion at early follow-up, abnormal knee extension at final follow-up, abnormal knee flexion at final follow-up, partial medial meniscectomy, and articular cartilage damage were significant factors related to the presence of osteoarthritis on radiographs.”

He also went on to say that you had a 2x increased risk of knee arthritis if you don’t get full ROM. This was similar to having had a meniscectomy surgery or articular cartilage loss.

For such a simple concept, we PT’s can really affect the long-term outcomes for our patients if we don’t get full knee ROM. So why are people still struggling years after their knee surgery? I don’t know… but it’s troubling and definitely avoidable in most patients.

Check out this study from the Journal of Athletic Training in 2015. They discuss how a patient’s flexion ROM can help significantly improve their IKDC scores (functional score) during the 1st 2 months post-op.

Simple Modification to Prone Quadriceps Stretching

I began to think about this topic when I was reading a Facebook post in one of the PT groups and it made me think. We always talk about knee extension and there is some research that discusses the importance of safely obtaining knee extension ROM. I put this study in a recent Instagram post and got some pretty good response.

It seems that whenever I talk about knee ROM after a surgery, people’s ears perk up. Let’s go to the video and talk about a simple technique I use to improve knee flexion ROM after a surgery or injury.

As you can see, a small tweak to your technique can really make a big difference. Again, I’m not sure what exactly is going on. It seems like I’m adjusting the position of the tibia just slightly and that is influencing the location of the stretch toward the quads. If I take my hand away, then they feel the pain and pressure in the front of the knee and it does not feel good.

Slow and Steady Knee Flexion

For the record, I’m not one of those PT’s that likes to be super aggressive and push my patients to tears. I’ve inherited those patients from other PT’s and that technique often fails.

When I talk about improving prone knee flexion, I’m talking about improving quadriceps flexibility and length. Remember, if you have someone lie on their stomach and you try to flex their knee, you’re either limited by pain, joint capsule or the rectus femoris (2-joint muscle.)

It’s not until I think the knee has reached a period of calm that I begin pushing into prone flexion. I’m not using this to crank and get 5 more degrees for my documentation. I’m using this at an appropriate time to improve muscle flexibility and maybe get that end range of motion that is so important.

Remember, obtaining full knee ROM is a process, but a very important process. it’s not going to happen quickly, especially if you’re wicked aggressive (my Boston comes out when I get fired up!!)

Try it for yourself

So this week, try this technique out on one of your clients who may be struggling with regaining their knee flexion ROM. I’m curious to know what you think and if it works for you. As we’ve seen, it’s very important to get that full ROM back after a surgery and this is one modification that I think can help you immediately.

 

 

If you want to learn more about how I treat ACL’s and other knee injuries, then you can check out our all online knee seminar. If interested, check it out at www.onlinekneeseminar.com and let me know what you think. We cover the anatomy, rehab prescription, ACL, knee replacements and patellofemoral issues both non-operative treatment and post-operative treatment. This is an awesome course if you’re interested in learning more about rehabilitating the knee joint. And if you’re a PT, there’s a good chance you can get CEU’s as well.

Loss of extension after ACL surgery: How to assess for a cyclops lesion

/30 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Loss of extension after an ACL reconstruction can be debilitating for the patient. It’s not as common as you would think but I see it enough in the clinic from people that are months out from surgery. Usually, this loss of knee extension after an ACL reconstruction is caused by a cyclops lesion. Let’s dive deeper into this!

Often times, they’ll present with anterior knee pain, posterior knee soreness and a relatively weakened quadriceps muscle that just won’t return. No matter what they do to get the motion back, the knee just never feels normal.

I’ve written about the loss of extension after an ACL reconstruction in the past. In this post, I discussed how I like to work on knee extension immediately after an ACL surgery. There are a few ways that I think are most effective and with minimal patient efforts.

What is a Cyclops Lesion?

For those not familiar, a cyclops lesion is a wad of scar tissue in the anterior aspect of the knee joint. It is believed to be a remnant of the previous ACL stump that had remained during the reconstruction surgery. At least that’s one theory. Another theory states that it may be fibrocartilage as a result of drilling the tibial tunnels.

Whatever the case, this arthrofibrosis (scar tissue) physically blocks the knee joint from locking out into full extension. Check out this MRI that shows the scar tissue in the anterior knee.

Cyclops lesion in the anterior knee blocking full (hyper) extension

How do I assess for a cyclops lesion after ACL surgery?

In this video, I describe why and how I assess for a cyclops lesion. Check it out.

Is it a Cyclops lesion or just a tight knee?

From the video, you can clearly note that anterior pain, in my experiences, is most often related to a cyclops lesion. Other factors to consider include:

  1. temporary/transient gains in extension
  2. anterior knee pain after increasing activity
  3. poor patella mobility
  4. quads just won’t come back
  5. continued hamstring/calf soreness

These are tell-tale signs that there’s more going on and you should refer back to the doctor so they can order an MRI to rule in/out the anterior scarring. If diagnosed, the best (and only) option is to have a knee scope and remove that scar tissue.

There’s nothing else that can be done. No PT, injections or manual therapy can restore full symmetrical knee extension.

The scar tissue needs to be removed by surgical excision. Aggressive PT should commence immediately after surgery to restore the extension range of motion.

The Best and Easiest Way to Restore Knee Extension after an ACL

Rehab after an ACL is never easy. There are many things that could affect a patient’s outcome. I’ve treated hundreds of patients after an ACL reconstruction and each one is a unique challenge. I wrote about this in a previous post here..check it out and let me know what you think.

I put this video together for Mike Reinold’s website so you could see what I exactly do to gain knee extension back….and why I’m not a fan of prone hangs. Hope it helps with some of your knee patients.

Final Cyclops Thoughts

As a PT or athletic trainer, don’t blame yourself if the patient needs another surgery to remove the scarring. It seems as if it was inevitable and was going to occur no matter the efforts to work on knee extension. I think the lesson here is:

  • work on extension early and often
  • maintain good compliance at home
  • assess/measure each visit to determine gains or losses
  • early patella mobility and knee PROM
  • get the pain and swelling out as quickly as possible
  • refer back to the doctor if the ROM not improving despite your best efforts

Hope this post helps you get better outcomes for your ACL patients!

 

If you want to learn more about how I treat ACL’s, then you can check out our all online knee seminar. If interested, check it out at www.onlinekneeseminar.com and let me know what you think. We cover the anatomy, rehab prescription, ACL, knee replacements and patellofemoral issues both non-operative treatment and post-operative treatment. This is an awesome course if you’re interested in learning more about rehabilitating the knee joint. And if you’re a PT, there’s a good chance you can get CEU’s as well.